The good seeds and bad seeds

                   The good seeds and bad seeds

Good seeds and bad seeds

There are many incidents which took place in the life of Jesus Christ when he was on this earth. The bible does not give us all the incidents which took place while Jesus was on this earth. I would like to state some interesting facts which took place in his life.

    Jesus Christ was about 33 years when this incident took place. He was very busy in his ministry of preaching the good news to the people. One day Jesus took his apostles and came to his birth place, Bethlehem.  There was not a single place where Jesus had not set his foot on. He travelled far and wide across the country busy in his mission of bringing the good news to the people. Though he had travelled to many places, this time when he came to Bethlehem he knew that it was his last visit and that his time to die has drawn near. But he has a lot of surprises awaiting him in Bethlehem. Everything happened as predestined by God the Father.

    As he entered Bethlehem, he saw an old man who had once lived a happy and wealthy life. But now he was in poverty. Jesus looked at him and he too looked at Jesus and identified who he was. He ran forward and welcomed Jesus saying, “Long live Lord Jesus”. Jesus was happy at his greetings and hugged him tight and shared his love and said, “I am happy to see you and delighted at your wish. You are so old and still you remember and greet me with so much of love and affection. Thank you so much for this kind greeting of yours’. Since your house is located right at the entrance of Bethlehem, you have a good chance to meet and greet all those who come to this city. It would be much better if you could welcome all those who come here so that they too will greet you.”

     On hearing this old man replied, “Dear Lord, this is a custom we are following from the time of our ancestors. This is our own house and for many generations we are here to welcome all those who come to this city. Anyone who comes to Bethlehem quenches their thirst and takes rest under my roof. I consider it a great privilege to do this and I have also trained my children to carry on this act after me. So I request you to come to my house and have a drink.”

    Jesus Christ was happy on this request and went into the house of the old man along with his apostles. When Jesus entered the house he asked the old man, “Where are your wife and children?” the old man gave a deep sigh and replied, “Lord, my children have gone into the city for some work and my wife is resting in a separate room due to illness. Especially she does not like to see men. All this happened because of her pride.”

    Jesus asked the old man, “What is the reason for her illness? What is she suffering from? Do tell me sir.” The old man said, “She is suffering from an issue of blood. She is having constant bleeding for the past 32 years. We have seen many doctors and spent enough and more. But no one was able to cure her.” Jesus asked the old man to bring his wife to him. So the old man went inside and brought his wife to Jesus by holding her hand for she was very weak and could not walk. Jesus was moved with compassion on seeing her for she was very thin and barely had strength to stand by herself. With the help of her husband she bowed down at Jesus’ feet. Jesus said, “You are healed of your sickness.” Immediately she was healed and she felt that her bleeding had stopped.

    The woman rose to her feet and jumped with joy. She was so happy for she was healed released of her bondage of sickness. She looked up at the face of Jesus and was surprised and said, “these are the same eyes and this is the same face……” she was happy to say this. Her husband was surprised and asked her, “ I know that you have not seen Jesus before and this is the first time you are seeing him, then how do you know that you have already know him?” his wife replied stating, “yes my dear, I have not seen him before. But I have seen his mother….. Yes I have seen her…. The same eyes, and face resemblance….. Even his hair resembles his mother. My Lord do you remember…. Why I am suffering from this disease for the past 32 years….. Do you know how I got this disease? It was all because of my pride…. My boastfulness…. You could have forgotten all that happened but I have not…. My Lord Jesus, your mother and I are of the same age.

    32 years ago, Joseph and my husband were childhood friends and were very close to each other. Once we had a function at our home. Your mother was nearing delivery and Joseph had brought her to our house. They had come to give their names for their name registration. The city was already overcrowded and all the hotels and lodges were flooded. When I knew that my husband’s dear friend had come, I made arrangements for his stay and kept people in charge of it. 

    After the party was over, I went to see Joseph and his wife along with my husband. The moment I saw Mary I was wonder struck. She was the fairest women I had ever seen. Her beauty was beyond words could describe and there was a divine aura around her and I just fell down at her feet. She blessed me and greeted me.

   But the evil spirit within me took control of my mind. I feared that my husband might become a slave for her exceeding beauty and so all that was in my mind was to send them out of my house. The next day somehow I managed to send them away. Then I heard from my husband that she delivered a boy baby in a cattle shed. I did not want to go and see her for I hated her so much because of her beauty. But my husband went and saw them and came home. My husband was very much hurt at my behavior.”

    Then her husband spoke and said, “My friend Joseph circumcised and named his boy child and had sent a word for me so that I could join in his happiness. I called my wife by she refused to come with me. So I went alone and met my dear friend Joseph and conveyed all that had happened and said that I was sorry. But Joseph was very friendly and hugged me with love and affection as my ever dear friend. Lord Jesus when you hugged me before a few minutes, I experienced the same warmth and affection which I experienced when Joseph hugged me. I gave some gifts to my friend Joseph and asked him to give his son to me. He gave his son and I could not describe the joy I had when I held the child in my hands and the way the child looked at me and smiled. I wrapped the child in a new linen cloth.”

    Then his wife spoke and said, “After this incident, fate changed my life in a different way. I was so beautiful in those days and hence it lead to a great pride in my heart. I was very proud of my beauty and ultimately became arrogant. I never respected or cared for anyone. I spoke harsh words to everyone and hence I lost all my friends and relatives. Since I suspected my husband and unnecessarily feared that my husband would fall for the beauty of Mary and leave me, god punished me. I was struck with the constant bleeding sickness. I lost everything, my beauty, my wealth, my friends and relatives and ultimately lost everything I had. I hated this life and shut myself inside this room. Lord I ask your forgiveness…. Please do forgive me for all that I had done. This is the same room your parents stayed where you are sitting down right now.”

   Jesus was silent for a moment and then spoke, “Mother I am happy to know that you had treated my parents as your guest. I am also glad to know that my parents are your friends. Thanks for all the good you have done for them. Father I thank you for loving me when I was a baby in your hands. So now I want to give you a token of love for your love and kindness.” So saying Jesus handed out a small towel to the old man. It was the same linen cloth which the old man had given Jesus when Jesus was a baby.

   The old man was surprised on seeing it and asked, “My Lord have you not used this towel at all? It is so new…” Jesus said, “I did not use it but I had kept it safe with me up to this time.

[This old man had a chance to cover the nakedness of Jesus when he was a baby. The old man’s son also got a chance to cover up the nakedness of Jesus. When Jesus was crucified on the cross, he hung naked between earth and sky, in front of his dear mother, in front of the holy women and in front of this whole world. He was badly wounded and his whole body was covered with blood. it pained him a lot and more pain was his nakedness. Jesus saw mother Mary as the last person before he could close his eyes once for all. But before that Jesus saw another man running up Mount Calvary. He was none other than the son of the old man, who ran with a new linen cloth in his hand. Jesus died on the cross before he could reach and this man covered Jesus with the new linen cloth which he had brought for Jesus. That old man’s son had the privilege to cover the nakedness of Jesus. Then he accepted Jesus as his savior and later became a saint.]

     Then Jesus came to a place called Bethsoor along with his disciples. This is the place where the three kings who came to see Jesus (when he was a baby) had stayed. This is the place where the shepherds and their families stayed. When Jesus came to Bethlehem for the last time, the then shepherd head met Jesus and rejoiced on seeing him. Jesus went beside the grave of the shepherd’s head who had died. (this is the person who came to see Jesus when he was born). When they opened his grave they saw that the body had not decayed, though this person had died three years ago.

    At that time a man came running from the fields and fell down at the feet of Jesus. He said that he too had come to see Jesus when Jesus was born along with his father and that he was 10 years of age at that time. Jesus was happy. The man further said that he took part in the celebration at the time of the circumcision of Jesus, also Joseph had given him bread and milk and fruits. He said that he and his father had helped the three kings by carrying their luggage’s and things. The three kings were happy about their service and thanked them and gave them triangular shaped gold coins and gifts and that he had preserved those gold coins all these years. So saying he showed Jesus some of the coins.

    He further said that when Mary and Joseph had fled to Egypt, the kings men came and enquired the man’s father for which the man’s father replied, “we saw that couple with their son when we were sowing corn. But you have come searching for them at the time of harvest….. You are so late…..” but actually the corn had grown instantly. It was indeed a great surprise for us. Jesus listened to the story as if he was not aware of any of these things which had taken place. The boy further said, “the soldiers said to themselves that it is six months for the sowing and harvesting of corn and that they had come too late to search for them and so they returned back to the kings palace.

    Jesus smiled at the man and said, “Dear friend, what do you want? Ask me and I will grant your wish”. The man replied, “Dear sir, I don’t need anything, I just need your love always. I have a good field which gives good yield. But only corn grows in this. The ground is full of rocks making it unsuitable for growth of any other grains.” On hearing this, Jesus blessed the land and it became good soil. So with the love and blessing of Jesus any kind of hard rocky heart will melt down as a loving heart. This is the man who sowed good deeds.

     Jesus entered another field which belonged to a person who was a hard hearted man. He was selfish and did not believe in Jesus Christ. He hated Jesus for some unknown reason. He felt that Jesus had nothing new to say than his forefathers. Also he did not like the fact that Jesus called himself the Messiah. He considered it as blasphemy. He waited for a chance to question Jesus.

    He was around 45 years of age and was working in his field when Jesus came that way. The man looked at Jesus and his anger reached its heights. He started to scold Jesus and said, “welcome blasphemer…. You who call yourself the messiah…..are you not ashamed of it? Who gave you the rights to call you like that?” but Jesus was cool at these statements since this man spoke out of his ignorance. Jesus asked him, “dear friend, what do you want?” the man replied, “Just mind your business and leave this place. I know you tricks. You have come here to curse me. Your curse will not do anything to me….. Keep your blessings and curse with you and leave this place immediately.”

   Still Jesus was calm and asked him, “Friend, what are you doing?” the man replied, “Are you blind???? Can’t you see that I am sowing? I am sowing man…. I am sowing stones…..” Still Jesus was calm and said, “Let it happen as you said. You will reap what you sow and so since you sowed stones, you will reap stones. ” so saying Jesus left the place pitying that man.

     As Jesus said all the seeds which the man had sowed turned out into stones and it grew hundred fold and thousand fold…. All were stones and just stones. Whatever seeds he sowed they just grew to be stones. Since these stones grew in number, soon that good field became a field full of rocks, unsuitable for farming. This is the power of the tongue and what we speak. Hence the bible also states, “Life and death are in the authority of the tongue.”

   This man became a nomad and he did not change his ways till his end. His anger on Jesus grew day by day in his heart and he waited for a chance to take revenge on Jesus. Somehow, he got the friendship of the roman soldiers. He was one of the soldiers who scourged Jesus at the pillar. After a long time he got a chance to take revenge and he utilized this opportunity in the right way. He hit Jesus with all his anger and power. Then he made a crown of thorns and placed it on Jesus’ head. Then he took a stick and hit him and said, “Long live the king of Jews.” As he hit Jesus a thorn pierced Jesus’ face and stood between Jesus’ eyes and nose. This was a terrible hit and all the heaven and earth shook with pain to see this. This added to the pain of Jesus’ sufferings.

     Thus this made the right eye of Jesus to swell. Jesus was unable to open his eye. In order to ensure whether he had hit Jesus in the right way, he turned and looked at Jesus’ face. He saw blood pouring out of the wounds in the face of Jesus. He was still not satisfied. He spat on Jesus’ face. Now he was happy that his vengeance was served. He went to his home. All this took place within a short span of time. Jesus died and after his death this man’s life also changed. Not only the life of this man but the life of many of the people who took active part in hurting Jesus from the garden of Gethsemane up to mount Calvary, changed. Yes it was a great change….. They became the followers of Christ. But the land of this man alone still remains barren and full of rocks. It has not changed. It stands as a witness of what was sown and what was reaped.

“And the tongue is a fire, a world of wickedness set among our members, contaminating and depraving the whole body and setting on fire the wheel of birth, being itself ignited by hell……. Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren, ought not to be so.” – James 3”6, 10. So let us be careful in what we speak and win the blessing of God all through our life. Amen.

the good seeds and bad seeds